And, Gentlemen, there is another question which is comparatively new, and upon which I hope we shall hear an interesting Paper read to-day: I mean the new sort of attack against which the ships of England will have to defend themselves. Hitherto we have only thought of the attacks above the water-we have only thought of the question between the gun that is to attack the ship and the armour that is to protect it; and I am disposed to think that I shall only say that which all experience has proved when I state to you my own belief, that do what you please with regard to strengthening armour, you will find that the gun is the stronger. But now we have to consider not only how we are to be protected above the water, but how our ships are to be protected below the water from the attacks with which they will doubtless have to contend from rams and torpedoes. Hitherto, I am sorry to say, the effect of the ram has been chiefly exercised upon our own ships. I hope that will not continue to be the case, but that we shall consider well how to make it available against our enemies, and above all how to protect ourselves. It is with this view, I think, that great interest will attach to the Paper which we are to hear this morning from Mr. Boolds, "On Cellular Ships of War." That is somewhat a new phrase, but I suppose Mr. Boolds will tell us it is only an extension of that mode of shipbuilding which has been in practice for merchant ships as well as men-of-war for a long period of time, which is the system of water-tight compartments. On this question, no doubt, Mr. Boolds will give us very interesting views. Well, Gentlemen, these are the questions with regard to our men-of-war which we shall have to consider. Not less interesting, I think, are the questions which are now being so widely discussed with relation to our mercantile marine. There is, as you know, a Merchant Shipping Bill at this time receiving the consideration of Parliament, and I am glad that amongst our Members here I see at this moment no less than three or four distinguished Members of the House of Commons, who are as competent as any men in this country can be to give good practical advice to Parliament on these questions; and I certainly am one who looks with extreme anxiety to the great importance of this Merchant Shipping Bill being passed in the most acceptable and useful form; when I say "acceptable," I mean that I desire to see it passed in a shape which shall not give just offence to, or excite reasonable alarm on the part of the shipowner, while it shall protect those who navigate the sea from those dangers to which they have been too much exposed. Gentlemen, last year it was my duty to call your attention in my opening observations to the Report which we had then recently received from the Royal Commission which sat upon this subject. Now we are to reap the fruits of that report from the Royal Commission, and I hope that both in Parliament and among the public there will be no shrinking from what I believe to be the real condition of our mercantile marine at the present time. Perhaps the public in general are hardly aware of the striking fact that our mercantile marine at this moment consists of not less than 12,000 ships over 100 tons-that of ships of 100 tons and upwards we have no less than 12,000. I have reason to believe, from all the information I have received on this subject, that it would be not an unfair division of that great number of 12,000 merchant vessels above 100 tons to say that they may be divided into two not very unequal halves, one of which are classed ships, and are I believe as fine if not finer than any merchant ships in the world; while the other, and I believe somewhat the smaller half, but still a number not very much less than half, are unclassed ships, and I am afraid that no inconsiderable proportion of them are not worthy of the reputation of this country as a mercantile nation. Gentlemen, here of course is the ground upon which we are looking anxiously for the decision of Parliament, and I think I shall only speak the feelings of many of those who hear me when I express my hope that some mode will be adopted of classing the greater portion of these ships, and taking proper care that they shall be worthy of being classed among the merchant ships of England. Gentlemen, Papers bearing upon these interesting matters relating to the merchant service will be found among our list, and one-perhaps the most important—is a Paper on a question the importance of which all the professional men who now hear me well know, but of which I believe the public at large have very little idea indeed; and that is the importance of having our iron marine built of proper metal. I am afraid that no inconsiderable portion of the casualties that have befallen our merchant service have arisen from the fact that all our iron ships are not built of quite such good iron as they ought to be; but I am very glad to find that one of the Papers to be submitted to you this evening is a Paper on the quality of the iron which is used for the building of our ships, and to-morrow there will be another Paper on the quality of the steel. These, Gentlemen, are questions of practical importance, and I think that whatever information may be contributed by competent persons will be extremely valuable, and will help to improve the state of our merchant service. Gentlemen, there are numerous other subjects-Papers on pumping and on ventilation-hydraulic propellers, and various other most interesting matters with regard to the merchant service, but I will not detain you by further reference to them. The subjects on which I have now touched are the subjects which you will have to consider and discuss during the next three days; and I venture to say, without exaggeration, that I know of no Institution and of no body of men by which such subjects can be discussed with such good hope of practical results, as by the Meeting which I have now the honour of addressing. We see here distinguished naval officers; we see here eminent naval architects; we see eminent engineers; we see merchants, and we see great shipowners; and we see these gentlemen assembled here together to listen to Papers by competent writers, and to listen to Discussions by competent speakers. I cannot myself believe that such Papers can be discussed, and such Discussions be carried on and considered by a body of gentlemen so highly competent without contributing greatly to the welfare and the best interests of this country; and I will conclude these few introductory observations, in which I trust I have adhered to my intention to be brief, by only expressing my earnest hope that for many years to come this Institution may grow in success and in importance, and continue to promote those great and desirable ends for which it was first established. [The Report was then adopted.] Since the issue of Vol. XVI. the following Gentlemen have been added to the List of Members and Associates respectively:-Lieut. Constantine Artsayooloff, Messrs. Harry John Cornish, Thomas James Dodd, James Fortescue Flannery, Lieut. Ernst E. Goulacff, Messrs. Charles H. Haswell, Percy Louis Isaac, James Kirkwood, W. L. Mintonye, William Parker, William John Pratten, George James Rickard, Edwin William De Rusett, Peter Morrison Swan, James Turpin, Robert Assheton Napier, Luther Watts, and Henry H. West, Members; and Messrs. Charles Murray Aynsley, C.B., Captain R.N.; Crescencio Brum, Imperial Navy Yard of Rio Janeiro; John Frederick Crease, Major d Royal Marine Artillery; Captain Charles Chapman, author of works connected with naval matters; Messrs. Richard Churchill; Edward Crofton, Barrister-at-Law; T. E. Edwards, Lord Elphinstone, Chevalier Charles De Hoffman, Messrs. Sachin Sasoa, Earle's Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Hull; and James Carmichael Spence, India General Steam Navigation Company, Associates. During the same period the Institution has sustained the loss of the following Associates by death:Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, Bart., K.C.B., Honorary Associate; Josiah Barrett, Esq., William Hawthorn, Esq., Evan Leigh, Esq., Vice-Admiral C. G. Robinson, Joseph P. Ronayne, Esq., M.P., James Urquhart, Esq., R.N., Charles Vignoles, Esq., F.R.S., and Admiral R. L. Warren, Associates. |